Redemption
by Deathangel125
Summary: Trowa is a popular photographer with an obsession with the man who works next door.  What will happen when he finally works up the nerve to speak to the other man?  Alternate Universe, yaoi, Trowa x Duo
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. If you do, I'll sic my kids on you.

Warnings: Lime, bitchy Relena, bad language, AU.

Pairings: 3x2 main

Author's notes: If you have read this on MM.O, you will notice that a few things are missing. I had to take out certain parts to comply with FF.N regulations. Feedback is always welcome! Let me know what you think. Pretty, pretty please?

On with the fic!

Nine twenty-five… Nine twenty-six… Nine twenty-seven…

He stood at the window, watching the sidewalk beyond. The regular pedestrians didn't capture his attention for long, if he noticed their passage at all as they scurried from one place to the next. His eyes were focused on the crosswalk, waiting…hoping…Nine twenty-eight… Nine twenty-nine…

A flash of black caught his eye, his breath catching as he trained his gaze to the spot where he had seen the darker color mixed in with all the others, moving nothing but his eyes as he watched the crowd. His wait was rewarded when the lean figure he had been looking for emerged from the crowd, black coat flapping around his legs, a cup clasped in a slender hand and a black cap covering the head. Wide eyes were intent as the black clad figure agilely moved around people without ever touching any of them, a part of the walking traffic, but apart from it at the same time. It took mere seconds before the figure slipped into the store next door, out of his line of sight.

Trowa sighed, turning away from the window, content for the time being now that he had been able to complete his morning weekday routine. His simple happiness of seeing the growing object of his obsession faded when he found a pair of amused dark eyes watching him, a smirk accompanying them. "What?" he asked, immediately on the offensive.

"What is it going to take for you to actually strike up a conversation with your dream date?" Wufei asked with an evil grin. "It's not like you don't know where he works or anything," he added, waving a hand in the general direction of the bookstore that had opened next door seven months ago.

For the last three months, Trowa had been at the window every weekday morning between nine-twenty and nine-thirty, waiting for the young man to complete his mad dash through the other people on the sidewalk, ostensibly in order to get to work on time. More often than not, the man in the long black coat was nearly running in order to reach the store by nine-thirty. It hadn't taken Wufei very long to figure out what, or rather, who, Trowa was watching for. It had actually taken Trowa much longer to figure out the other mans schedule after seeing him for the first time.

"I couldn't talk to him," the taller man hissed, his face blushing at the mere thought of trying to carry on a conversation with someone so…alive. "He's out of my league, Wufei. It's better to watch from here than get rejected up close."

The Chinese man sighed, sitting on the corner of his desk. As the owner of one of the most popular modeling agencies in the country, he was able to work anywhere he wanted. He had chosen this area as his base of operations not only for the beautiful weather and the beautiful people, but also for the close proximity to his childhood friend. He was just lucky that Trowa was also one of the most sought after photographers in the modeling business, a fact that he used to his advantage ruthlessly, enhancing both of their reputations. "Why don't you just go over and look around for a book? At least that way you could see if he's attractive. You've only seen him from a distance. He may be hideous up close."

Trowa frowned, the suggestion that the man would be unattractive boggling his mind a bit. "And if he asked me something, or spoke to me?"

"I seriously doubt he would ask you anything other than if you required any assistance finding a book," the dark haired man snorted, wishing, not for the first time, that his friend and partner wasn't so shy. "If he asks if you need any help, you could tell him that you are looking for a book on photography."

"Why would I need any books on photography? I'm a photographer." Trowa couldn't help the incredulous look on his face, totally baffled at his friend's suggestion.

"It was just an example, Trowa," Wufei frowned as the phone on his desk rang. He didn't have any appointments for another hour and had been looking forward to harassing his best friend that morning. "Just go look around while I take this call. Get a cup of coffee for me on your way back."

Obviously dismissed, Trowa watched as Wufei answered the call, settling down in the leather chair. Trowa preferred to be in his office in the studio at the back of the rented space, more comfortable surrounded by his equipment. He didn't like being seen by a lot of people, such as when the passers-by on the sidewalk would look in the window, curious as to what the men did inside. No signs, other than a small phone number etched on the door gave anyone any clues. Wufei did not believe in mass advertising, preferring to rely on word-of-mouth. So far, the Chinese businessman hadn't been wrong, their clientele list was impressive, representing some of the most well known models in the world.

Swallowing his nervousness, he decided to go next door, just for a peek. He really had no hopes of actually talking to the other man - someone that beautiful was bound to be either taken, straight, or would have no interest in someone as introverted and shy as Trowa, but now that Wufei had brought up the subject of the man being unattractive, he was strangely curious to know.

Without tell Wufei what he was doing, Trowa pushed out the door and walked the short distance to the store next door. He took some time to study the window displays, trying to calm his racing heart. After learning that a bookstore was opening he had been thrilled. In his youth, he had nurtured a love for the written word in any shape or form, and was looking forward to expanding his already large collection.

The first few weeks after the grand opening of the store that had been christened 'Redemption' the modeling agency had been so busy he hadn't been able to get away during store hours. When their hours had finally lessened, Trowa had been in the process of going to the door to visit the store for the fist time and had seen the man that had quickly taken a place in his mind. He had lost the courage to go to the store. Instead, he had chosen to spend the mornings waiting for the man to show up again, and had eventually figured out the pattern.

That was when he had began to watch every morning, hoping for a glimpse of the man that had remained with him, his mind weaving fantasies that he knew would never actually happen. After all, that's what fantasies were for, right?

Shaking his head to clear his thought, he pushed the door open and walked inside, scanning the shelves and rows of books in every size, shape, and color. He instantly felt more at ease, the sight and scent of the tomes something familiar to him from his childhood. If he had ever needed refuge, and he often had, he had hidden in the library of the small town where he and Wufei had grown up, losing himself in the fantasies of other worlds through words.

It didn't take long for him to forget his reason for journeying to the store in the first place. In a very short time, he managed to lose himself in a row of new releases, crouching on the floor in order to see the titles and authors better. Because of this, he was caught off guard at the sound of a voice behind him, making him jump slightly and lose his balance, crashing to his rear in the floor before he was able to catch himself.

"Damn, I'm so sorry. I thought you heard me coming down the aisle. I didn't mean to sneak up on you," a low voice said, sounding as embarrassed as Trowa felt.

Trowa kept his head down for a moment, trying to recover from his shock. With his luck, he already knew who the owner of that unbelievably sexy voice was. He was hoping that if he didn't acknowledge the man, he would go away and keep him from embarrassing himself any further.

Apparently, his luck had gotten up and taken a hike. He felt a hand on his shoulder and sensed someone crouching down beside him. He looked up into the face of the man he had been admiring from afar, and almost blushed from the thoughts going through his mind. At least he could tell Wufei that not only was this man not ugly close up, he was far more attractive than Trowa had believed.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Trowa stared into the most entrancing pair of eyes he had ever seen. The color seemed to shift from blue to violet from one minute to the next, mesmerizing him. It wasn't until he realized that he was staring that he managed to nod and look away. Only to blink the next moment when a hand appeared in front of his face, offering some help up.

Taking the hand, he allowed the other man to help him to his feet, keeping his head down. He blushed and jumped when gentle hands began to brush as the bottom of his pants legs. "I really am sorry about that," the other man repeated, leaning up. "My name's Duo. I own the place," he smiled widely, gesturing wildly with his arms.

Mentally, Trowa was silently reminding himself not to stare. He had seen some of the world's most beautiful models, but none of them had been this attractive to him. This man- Duo - was alive in a way that most people only dreamed of, living life to the fullest every day, embracing whatever came up with a verve that was mind-boggling. The long coat had been concealing a body that was enhanced by the threadbare jeans, faded blue t-shirt, and untie combat boots. The man was a few inches shorter than his own six foot three, but Trowa thought that this man was the perfect height to embrace, the chestnut covered head would rest just below his own chin, fitting perfectly together.

He finally realized that Duo had been waiting for some sort of response, so he looked away from the heart-shaped face and inquisitive eyes in order to form a coherent answer. "I like it here," his voice came out barely above a whisper, but apparently the man before him could hear him just fine.

"I do, too. Guess that's a good thing, since I'm here almost every day. I really didn't mean to startle you so badly. Is there anything that I can help you find? Were you looking for anything in particular?"

"Your phone number." Trowa didn't realize he had actually said that out loud for several seconds. When he did, his eyes grew wide and his hands came up to defend himself. He couldn't believe-

"Do I get your name first?"

"T-Trowa. Trowa Barton. I work next door," again he gave himself a mental slap. Why did he turn into such a moron when he became nervous? Duo might have been just trying to make him feel better by asking for his name in exchange for his number. Trowa was pretty sure that he didn't really want to know anything else about him, so he needed to stop offering information.

"Was there anything else that I could help you find, other than my number?" When Trowa gave him a helpless look, Duo seemed to relent, offering a gentle smile, "How about some coffee?"

"Now?"

The other man shrugged, "Now is just as good as later, right. Do you have a few minutes to spare?" When Trowa stared at him in surprise, Duo visibly deflated. "It was just an idea. If you change your mind, I'll be up at the counter." He smiled again, but it didn't reach his eyes this time.

Dumbfounded and totally rattled by the change in events, Trowa could only watch as Duo walked away. He was about to speak when he caught sight of the long braid for the first time, his words becoming a squeak. When the other man turned to him again, he abandoned all hope of sounding even slightly normal. "I've never seen your hair. It never showed in the mornings. Your coat always covered it up." Once again realizing what he said a bit too late, he groaned and covered his face with his hands, aware of the eyes watching him closely. "I swear I'm not a stalker or anything, you just …stand out in a crowd. I'll be going now."

He brushed past the man, taking a chance and letting his fingers graze the long rope of hair, assuming that this was the closest he would ever be able to get to Duo now. Trowa entered the office next door almost at a run, making Wufei jump when the door slammed behind him.

"Trowa?" was the only thing the Chinese man managed to say before the tall photographer breezed past him, heading for the sanctuary his own office provided. Wufei followed, wondering what could have happened in the half hour that his friend had been gone. When he found Trowa, the tall man had his head on the desk, rolling it from side to side. "I'm guessing it went badly. So he really was ugly?"

Sitting up, Trowa groaned. "He's beautiful, Wufei. And he probably thinks I'm completely and totally insane. Every time I opened my mouth, something would pop out that I didn't want to ever say. I asked him for his phone number!"

One elegant eyebrow rose, "Isn't that a good thing?"

"It would have been, if I hadn't freaked out when I saw his hair," another moan and Trowa's head was back on the table. "I let it slip that I had been watching him. I don't guess I'll ever get to go get coffee with him. He has the most amazing hair…and eyes, and body, and his name is Duo," at the realization that he was rambling, he let out another groan.

"You asked him to go get coffee?" Wufei boggled at the thought. Trowa was normally so shy and reserved that he couldn't get out more than a garbled sentence to a stranger. The fact that he had managed to have an almost normal conversation with someone he was attracted to was a minor miracle.

"He asked me. Then I went all schizo on him and left. I'm pretty sure he's glad I did."

"Actually, I was really hoping you would want to go have coffee," Trowa jumped up so fast that the chair he had been sitting in fell over. Spinning, he found Duo leaning in the doorway with a smile on his face. With a broad grin, the braided man held out his hand, revealing the small piece of paper he had. "Besides, you forgot my number."

When he stood unmoving for several seconds, Wufei gave Trowa a sharp kick to his shin to get him moving. With a short glare at his friend, he crossed the small space, taking the offered paper, a small shiver going through his body when their fingers touched.

Duo grinned at him, feeling a thrill of his own. Turning away, he gave the man watching him a wink. "Call me when you're ready to get that coffee, Trowa." His violet eyes made a slow perusal of Trowa's body before moving back to his face. "By the way, the jeans you wore yesterday looked a lot better on you, they showed off your body better," he almost growled before leaving, putting a bit of extra sway in his hips, making his braid dance across his ass.

Wufei had to force his jaw shut as he watched the man walk away. "Holy shit," he breathed, letting out a low whistle, getting Trowa's attention. "If you decide not to call him, let me have the number, would you?"

Giving a slow smile while studying the number in his hand, Trowa shook his head, "I think I'll hang on to it for a while, if that's okay with you."

"And if I said it wasn't okay?"

"I would have to tell you that it's just too damn bad." With a grin, Trowa went to work, getting his cameras ready for the day ahead. His luck was looking up, and he hoped that it would only get better.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. If you do, I'll sic my kids on you.

Warnings: Lime, bitchy Relena, bad language.

Pairings: 3x2 main, possibly some others

Feedback is always welcome! Let me know what you think. Pretty, pretty please?

On with the fic!

It took Trowa several days to work up the nerve to actually dial the number he had been given, no matter how many times Wufei teased him about it. He had attempted to call Duo but had hung up before the phone could ring.

The only difference between the days before and after he had met Duo was that the other man would toss of quirky wave each morning as he hurried down the sidewalk to open the store. Trowa had managed to wave back, hoping Duo wouldn't be able to see how his face flamed each day, but still unable to take his eyes off the braided beauty.

Right now, he was sitting at his desk, staring at the seemingly harmless piece of paper. He jumped when a hand clapped down onto his shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts. "Are you ever going to call him, or not? If you're not going to, I would be more than happy to take him off your hands."

"I was getting ready to," Trowa defended, crossing his arms across his chest and glaring at his best friend.

Smirking, the Chinese leaned against the wall, "If you call and ask him out right now, I'll pay for the entire date."

"What if I take him out to dinner at a fancy restaurant?"

Wufei grinned, his dark eyes glittering, "I'll let you borrow my credit card for the entire date, providing you do me a favor."

"What's the favor?" Trowa narrowed his eyes at the other man, suspicious. The last time he had been asked for a favor, he had ended up on a blind date with a woman that slobbered all over him all evening. He had eventually left the restaurant when she had tried to shove her hand down his pants.

Obviously recalling the same thing, Wufei held his hands in front of his body to ward off any flying objects, just in case. Trowa was still a bit sore about the whole thing. "I just want you to ask Duo to sit for a shoot with you. I'd like to sign him on."

"You want him to be one of your models?"

With a sigh, Wufei moved to sit on the edge of Trowa's desk, a habit that annoyed the green eyed man tremendously. "You must know that he's gorgeous, Trowa. Why wouldn't I want him to work for me and, by extension, for you? Wouldn't it be nice to have him under you, metaphorically speaking?" he questioned with an evil grin.

Ignoring the entendre, Trowa pushed at the other man to get him off some documents he needed, "He owns the bookstore, Wufei. He doesn't just work there, it's his."

"He told you this?"

"Yeah, the first time we met. It's his store."

"Ask him for me anyways. He couldn't really be making a lot of money there. I'm sure he could use some extra cash, and who wouldn't want the chance to be famous?" Wufei grinned again, "But you have to call him now in order to get my card for the date."

Trowa conceded, not bothering to explain that he had been about to call Duo, he had just been trying to make sure that his lunch had settled on his stomach before he called. With shaking fingers, he picked up the phone and dialed the number. He was very aware of the eyes on him as he heard the ringing on the other end of the line.

He let it ring several times and was preparing to hang up in defeat when the ringing abruptly cut off, noises signaling that the phone had been answered. There was a loud clutter and a few choice curse words before he heard a familiar voice.

"Ow! Shit. Hello?" Before he could speak, Duo began again, "Hold on a sec, I can't hear a thing in here. Will you shut up for a second?" Trowa waited with a smile on his face, enjoying being able to listen to Duo interact with whoever was with him. After more curses and thinly veiled insults, the other man came back on the line, his tone more normal. "Hello?"

"Duo? This is Trowa, from the other day?"

"OH! Damnit Hilde, get off me you flippin leech," Trowa's eyes widened at the words, wondering if he had misunderstood Duo's words and actions a few days before. "I remember you, Trowa. I was hoping you would call." Hearing the smile behind the words, Trowa grew even more confused, at least until the other man started to explain what was going on. "Sorry about the language, but I have a friend here that is extremely drunk. She got dumped by her boyfriend and I guess I was the first person she thought of, so now I have her holed up in the back my office, trying to keep her from scaring off all of my customers." There was a frustrated huff, "Unfortunately, she's one of those people that loves everybody when she drinks, and then gets sick all over the place."

There were scuffling sounds in the background, then a muffled argument. Fighting a smile at the other man's predicament, Trowa finally remembered his original reason for calling in the first place. "I was just wondering if you would like to go get coffee sometime, or maybe dinner?"

"Sounds great. When?"

Reminding himself not to sound too eager, Trowa paused for a moment, "How about tomorrow night? We could get dinner or something?" He could hear Wufei snickering at him, but ignored the sound.

"About seven?" Duo sounded slightly harassed, confusing him until he heard the retching noises in the background. "I can meet you here, if that's okay."

"Seven would be perfect. I'll let you go so you can take care of your friend. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, see you…Hilde, damnit! Couldn't you have waited until you got to the bathroom? You're so helping me clean this shit up later. I can't believe that you did this to me again…"

The line disconnected, leaving Trowa chuckling and looking at the phone in amusement. He didn't envy Duo his job right now, and felt sorry for the girl who would feel even more miserable when the alcohol was out of her system. He let out another snicker; Duo had the face of an angel, and the mouth of a sailor.

"Well?" Wufei was watching him with a smug expression. "You're actually going to go out with him."

"Why do you have to sound so surprised?" Trowa stood, striding out of his office and into the studio. "Am I so socially inept that you don't believe I'm capable of going on a date with someone without it becoming a disaster?"

"That's not what I meant, Trowa, and you know it," Wufei had followed him and was now watching his movements closely. "I'm honestly surprised that you went through with it, that's all."

"I do go out every once in a while, you know."

The Chinese sat on a sofa, crossing his arms over his chest. "When was the last time you went out on a date that I didn't arrange?"

Trowa stopped rearranging the clothes that covered the platform, his face creased in deep thought. After several minutes, he began to move again, "I don't remember," he stated in a low voice.

The admission hurt him, not so much that it had been so long, but the fact that he had been painfully alone the entire time. While Wufei had been enjoying a social life for the last few years, he had remained alone at home unless forced into a blind date by his friend. The bright side was that even if Wufei had been dating, he hadn't found someone that was able to hold his interest.

"I hope you have a good time." When he looked up, his friend was standing before him with a credit card in his hand. "Just don't forget about the favor you promised me."

Quirking a smile, Trowa took the card, "I'll remember, but you can't fuss when you get the bill."

At six-thirty on Friday, Trowa was standing outside Duo's bookstore, trying to calm his stomach, wondering if there was a limit to how nervous a person could become. He had left work early to go home and get ready for his date, not thinking about what lay ahead of him that night, hoping that he would be a little calmer when the time came to see the long-haired man again.

Wufei had helped him choose an outfit, and he had attempted to push his past dates behind him, doing his best not to recall how badly they had gone. There had been the date with Otto, a guy that worked for a security firm, where he had been taken to a gay bar and the other man had spent the entire evening trying to climb inside of his clothes while he was still in them...

Then there had been the date with Marcus, the accountant that had seemed so sweet and innocent. Trowa had lost all illusions when the Marcus had attempted to climb in his lap at the movie theater, making Trowa fear they would be arrested for indecent exposure…

The last date from hell had been with Treize, one of Wufei's models. Trowa had assumed that going out with the man would be a different experience since Treize was a bit older. The date had actually gone pretty well, until the very end of the night when Trowa was trying to get out of the car. That was when the older man had nearly torn his clothes off trying to pull him in the back seat. When Trowa had escaped from the vehicle, Treize had made the comment that all photographers were supposed to be up for anything. After that, Trowa had gave up on dating, fearing the outcome.

Now, here he was again, actually looking forward to the date even though it felt like elephants were doing a waltz in his stomach. He looked over his reflection carefully in the window glass, hoping he looked as good as Wufei had said. The thin black slacks and grey t-shirt had been picked out because Wufei had said that they looked good on him. Trowa hoped that Duo would think the same thing.

Glancing at his watch, he learned that he had managed to waste almost fifteen minutes staring at himself in the glass. He took a deep breath and reached for the door, and…

"Hey!"

…almost jumped out of his skin. Spinning around in surprise, he met Duo's wide eyed look. The braided man immediately grimaced, "I'm so sorry, again. I really don't mean to sneak up on you all the time."

"I thought we were supposed to meet here?" Trowa was still trying to get his heart rate back to normal. He failed when he took a good look at his date for the night.

Duo had chosen to wear a skin tight pair of black jeans and a button up short sleeved silk shirt that was white on first glance. The usual long coat was gone, replaced by a leather jacket that appeared to be tailored, it fit so perfectly. Looking closer, Trowa realized that he could see thin stripes of silver and gold mixed in on the shirt, giving it a shimmering appearance. The long hair was still in its usual braid, but it wasn't as tight as normal, allowing wisps of hair to float around the heart-shaped face.

"Oh, yeah. I had to run home and check on Hilde. She ended up passing out there last night in one of the guest rooms," Duo was smiling and rolling his eyes. "So, where did you want to go?"

Trowa winced and looked down at his feet, his natural shyness rearing up once again. "I wasn't really sure what you liked, so I wanted to see where you wanted to go, if that's okay?"

The words were barely out of his mouth when Duo grabbed his arm and began to guide him down the sidewalk in the direction he normally came in the mornings. "I know this really great place outside the city, if you'll trust me to drive."

There was a brief moment of panic as Trowa recalled the dates from hell, but he shook them off, hoping that this would be different. "I trust you."

At the short statement, Duo froze and turned to face Trowa, his face startled. Wondering what he had done or said wrong, Trowa waited for the excuse to come, ending the date before it had even begun. Instead, the other man leaned toward him and placed a small kiss to his cheek and whispered, "Thanks," before hurrying them away again.

They walked three blocks to a parking garage, talking about some of their favorite places near their jobs as they passed them. Duo carried most of the conversation, allowing Trowa to time to feel more comfortable. He was starting to wonder why Duo would park his car so far away from his place of business, but was concerned that he would sound nosy if he asked. Curiosity overcame his concern finally. "Why don't you park your car at the store?"

"Are you into cars? I mean really into cars?"

Trowa was enchanted by the blush that had appeared on Duo's skin. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. I can name most cars by looking at them, if that counts."

"In a few minutes, you'll know why I won't park my car on the street. Please don't say anything bad about me. I don't have another car right now." Duo's voice was subdued as he keyed into the parking garage.

Trowa already knew that it must be an expensive car considering the level of security that was surrounding it. Unless someone had a key, they would be unable to gain access to the cars inside, and even then they would be watched by the many security cameras on each level. As they traveled up a flight of stairs, he glanced at some of the vehicles to see what kinds of cars were stored inside. He made a fair sum as a photographer, but had never spent a lot of money on a car, seeing them as a way to get to work and back. Any time he needed to go out of the city for a job, he and Wufei would either fly, or rent a car big enough to ship his equipment.

At the second floor, they walked through the row of cars, separated by a larger space than would have been found in a regular garage. Trowa was mostly following Duo, enjoying the view as he walked slightly behind the other man, when his eye fell on something that he never thought he would see in his lifetime. "That's a Bugatti." He was almost afraid to breathe on it, scared that he would mar the surface of the almost two million dollar automobile. "It's beautiful. I wonder who could own it."

There was an almost tense silence from the man that stood next to him. A sudden rattle of keys and the chirp of an alarm being turned off threw Trowa into a stupor. "It's yours?"

"Um, yeah. It was my dad's before he died. I don't like driving it, but a friend of mine wrecked my Mercedes and I don't like to drive the Porsche unless I have to go to some sort of party because it attracts too much attention." With a shy smile, Duo opened the passenger side door for Trowa before moving to the driver's side.

Blinking owlishly, Trowa carefully settled in the seat. As Duo started the car, he watched the slender hands wrap around the steering wheel, wondering why someone that owned that many expensive cars would own and work at a bookstore. Another troubling thought was – why would someone like Duo want to go out with someone like him?


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. If you do, I'll sic my kids on you.

Warnings: Lime, bitchy Relena, bad language, AU.

Pairings: 3x2 main

Feedback is always welcome! Let me know what you think. Pretty, pretty please?

On with the fic!

On the drive, Duo asked Trowa questions about his life and his job, trying to get the other man to open up a bit more about himself. Trowa was surprised to learn that, even while sitting in a car that cost more than he would make in ten years, he was relaxed and enjoying the conversation and the company.

He told Duo of growing up in an orphanage with Wufei, the pair often in trouble together. He spoke of trying to fight for the privilege of going to college in order to take his photography classes, while his best friend chose to study business and management. Then he shared the experiences they had had when starting to work together, relating several stories of difficult shoots because the model was a diva or inexperienced.

Eventually, he sat back in his seat, unconsciously stroking the seat, "Speaking of models, Wufei wants to know if you will model for him."

He wasn't able to stop the snicker as Duo's head swiveled toward him, his mouth gaping open. The long haired man stayed that way for several seconds before turning back to the road with a smirk. "You're joking, of course."

"Actually, I'm serious, and so is he. You would be an amazing model," Trowa's amused manner was gone, realizing that Duo had no idea how attractive he was. "Why don't you think about it and let me know later?"

"You're serious?" If the tone hadn't expressed Duo's shock, his raised eyebrows would have. "You would want me to model for you?"

Stopping the dirty thoughts that ran through his head was more difficult than it should have been. Trowa had to remind himself that he didn't want the date to end up that way, but it was becoming more and more difficult all the time to remember. Not only was his date for the evening attractive, he was also charming and fun to be with. "I would like you to pose for me," he finally nodded, then blushed hearing his words. It seemed that he was doomed to blurt out things that he didn't want to with this man.

An evil smirk was tossed in his direction, followed by a laugh when Duo saw the blush on Trowa's face. "Don't worry, I understand what you mean. I'm not going to take advantage of you that way, at least not yet."

Ignoring the disappointment at the statement, Trowa was saved from having to reply when Duo pulled the car into a small parking lot off the side of the road. Looking around, Trowa tried to figure out what they were doing at a small diner on the side of the road that resembled something out of a low budget movie. The parking lot was nearly empty; only one car other than Duo's taking a space in the lot.

Getting out of the car, the long haired man started snickering, gaining Trowa's attention. "I know it looks like something out of a bad horror flick, but this place has some of the best food I've ever had, and I know the owner."

"Can you read my mind, or what?"

"Huh?"

"I was just thinking that this place looked like it would be used in a movie, then you say the same thing." Trowa shrugged, surprised at himself for blurting the question in the first place. "I was just wondering if you're psychic or something that I need to know about."

"Not psychic. Just very opinionated about some things. Appearances can be deceiving. Come on and I'll prove it to you." Duo grabbed his wrist again and started to pull him along. Trowa paused long enough to slide his hand into the others grasp, earning him a pleased smile.

Pondering appearances, Trowa had to agree that they could be deceiving. He had believed that Duo was only a bookstore owner, struggling to stay open, only to learn that he had several cars that most people couldn't afford in a lifetime. The more telling fact was that Duo seemed embarrassed at the show of wealth, and seemed unwilling to talk about his own life. The vivacious man was more interested in learning all about Trowa, asking questions and drawing him out of his shyness.

Taking a seat at a booth, Trowa's eyes traveled around the diner for a moment before moving back to his date. Duo's eyes were sparkling as they watched him, turning away only after a waitress appeared at the table.

The older woman was smiling as she looked at the long-haired man, her face pleasantly wrinkled and her soft green eyes shining with friendliness. "Duo, where ya been lately?"

"Running the store, Marie. You have to get up to the city sometime and come see me. It's doing really well." Duo grinned back at her, and then waved his hand at the man sitting across from him. "This is Trowa. He's a friend of mine, and works next door to the store."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Trowa's voice was soft, his shyness returning as she reached a hand forward to take his in a firm shake.

"The pleasure is all mine," Marie smiled kindly at him, as if sensing his reticence. "Duo doesn't bring many people out here to meet us. You should feel special." She didn't give him a chance to reply to that cryptic comment, her attention going back to Duo, who was glaring at her. "What ya gonna eat? Gotta make sure you get some weight back on, Duo, you're starting to look pretty skinny again."

"Just give me whatever's on special, Marie, and some milk to drink. Trowa?"

He debated for only a minute, then nodded decisively, "The same please." He was glad of his decision when he saw Duo's face light up.

"All right. Two specials, coming up. I'll tell Howie you're here, Duo. He's missed you."

As she walked away, Duo turned to Trowa and smiled just a little. "I guess I should explain a few things before Howard comes out here. Both of my parents died when I was little," Trowa listened intently, eager to learn more about the other man. "Instead of being sent away, Howard raised me. He's related somehow, at least I think so. One of those father's- uncle's- cousin- -by marriage- four times removed things that I don't understand."

Trowa couldn't suppress the snicker at Duo's pained look. "So he's related, but you have no idea how?"

"Yeah, something like that. I know he was my dad's best friend, and I don't have any other family, so he took care of me when I was growing up, and that couldn't have been fun. I was a hellion." Duo winced at the recall, "I think I woke up in the mornings and tried to think of ways to make his life difficult. It's one of the reasons I named the store 'Redemption'. I was hoping to find some from all the trouble I caused."

"Did a damn good job of finding that trouble most days, too."

Duo stood as the man came close, embracing him tightly. Trowa didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't the man with the wild grey hair, loud Hawaiian shirt, and over-sized sunglasses. He gaped as he looked at the man that had taken care of Duo in his youth, sitting back in his seat as the man suddenly turned toward him with a grin. "I'm Howard, or Howie, or Howe, or whatever someone chooses to call me. It's not always something I can repeat." Trowa shook the offered hand, mentally wincing and wondering how many times he could have his arm pumped before it fell off. "So you must be important to Duo for him to bring you all the way out here."

"Howard…" Duo's tone was low and warning.

The older man waved it off, unconcerned, then pointed a finger at the braided man, causing Duo to flinch a little. "And what are you doing driving around the Bugatti like it was a regular car? You need to take better care of it, Duo."

Trowa heard Duo mumble something as he was flashed an apologetic look. Howard must have been able to hear the muttered words because he exploded. "What do you mean, 'Quatre wrecked the Mercedes'? How many times have I told you to stop letting your friends take advantage of you? Will you never learn?"

"Howard Carter, you leave that boy alone," Marie scolded, coming to stand beside the ranting man with a tray of food. As she set the various plates and bowls on the table, her kind eyes turned to Duo, dismissing Howard completely. "Is Quatre paying for the repairs?"

"Yeah, sorta. His sister is having it fixed. It's even getting a new paint job and everything." Duo's eyes tracked back to his guardian, cautious but defensive at the same time, "It wasn't Quatre's fault, Howard. A drunk driver crossed the line and rammed into him. There was nothing he could do."

There was a moment of silence before Howard's eyes softened, placing a hand on Duo's shoulder. "Quatre's a pretty good kid. I don't mean to try and run your life, Duo. Sorry for sticking my nose in where it wasn't wanted."

Howard turned away from the table and walked away, his shoulders slumped. They watched him leave the table for a moment, then Trowa felt Duo's hand cover his. When he turned to look at his date, Duo's violet eyes were apologetic, "Give me a minute?"

"Of course," Trowa lifted Duo's hand to his mouth, brushing his lips across the back of it. "Go talk to him."

The long haired man looked at him with wide eyes for several seconds before bolting out of the booth to follow Howard. Marie shook her head as she watched him go through the doors into the kitchen, "Those two are stubborn and hard headed," she informed Trowa with a grim expression. "They argue all the time, but love each other a great deal. If only they could figure out the last part, they would be just fine."

Not knowing what to say, Trowa remained silent, grabbing his spoon and taking a bite of the soup that had been placed on the table. At the first taste, he gave Marie a surprised look, "What is this?"

"Chicken soup," she sat in the seat that Duo had vacated. "Don't you like it?"

"This is the best soup I've ever had," he stated firmly, taking another bite and closing his eyes at the taste. There were pieces of chicken and vegetables mixed in with the noodles, giving the soup substance, the flavor enhanced by the spices that he couldn't name. "Duo said that this was the best food he had ever had, but I had my doubts. Then after meeting you and Howard…" he trailed off, not sure if he should say anything.

"After you met us, you thought that Duo only wanted to bring you here to meet us, or so we could meet you?" She smiled at him, her eyes gentle and understanding. "How long have you known each other?"

"Ummm, we just met last week, but I guess you could say we've known each other for months," he hedged, not wanting to admit that he had been almost to the point of stalking the attractive man.

She seemed surprised at the admission, her eyes narrowing slightly as her head tilted, "It seems like you two have known each other for a long time." When he frowned she offered him a smile, "You're comfortable together, and it shows," she explained. "I haven't seen Duo so content in a long time."

He took a few minutes to concentrate on how he felt and realized that she was right. Other than the first few moments of awkwardness outside the bookstore, he had felt at ease with Duo. That was something that had rarely happened for him, and he found that he enjoyed the feeling as much as he took pleasure when looking through the eyepiece of his camera and seeing the perfect image about to be captured. He tried to burn this moment into his mind, wanting to recall this sensation when he looked back, after the date was over.

Marie sat with him for another minute before getting up. "Promise to take care of him for us when he's not here?"

"I promise," he agreed solemnly, knowing that this was not something she asked lightly. "I'll do my best."

Apparently satisfied, she nodded and went back to the kitchen, leaving him with his soup. It wasn't long before Duo returned to his seat, picking up his own spoon. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "I didn't want Howard beating himself up because he worries about me."

"You don't need to apologize, Duo. It must be nice to have someone that worries about you that way."

They ate their soup with some bread that Marie brought out a few minutes later. When the soup was gone, the bowls were whisked away and replaced with two plates that held fries and hamburgers. Trowa stared at the huge burgers, prompting laughter from his companion. "There is no way I can eat all of this," he mused with his eyes wide.

Duo shrugged, still smiling. He picked up his own burger with two hands, holding it up to his face. Trowa smiled when he saw that the sandwich was almost as big as Duo's head. "They don't expect you to eat it all," Duo explained around the burger, "just eat as much as you can, but leave some room for dessert. It's one way Howard makes sure I eat all that I can when I'm here. This is actually called the 'Duo Burger'."

Battling the burger took all of his attention, and he managed to eat half of it before he gave up. Seeing that Duo had nearly demolished his burger and all of his fries, he gaped. "How can you eat all of that?"

"Hollow legs," was the rapid reply. "I haven't eaten today," Duo finally admitted with a blush. "I was too nervous to even think about eating. I don't eat like this a lot, mainly just when I can come out here."

"If I knew someone that cooked like this, I would have to find a reason to eat with them once a week," Trowa patted his belly, trying to chew the last fry he could eat. He washed it down with a gulp of milk, "I have never had burgers that tasted better than a steak."

The braided man was giving him a strange look through his bangs, "If you would like, I could bring you out here once a week. I like spending time with you," Duo admitted softly, his eyes going to the remainder of his food.

"I would like that," Trowa moved his hand, resting it atop Duo's. Silently, he cheered when the other man turned his hand over, touching their palms together. "We would get to eat great food while you got to visit with them, and still be able to spend time together. It sounds like a perfect idea to me."

After finishing the meal off with large pieces of chocolate cake, Duo and Trowa said their goodbyes to Marie and Howard, promising to come back soon in exchange for the two older people coming to visit Duo's bookstore. Trowa surprised himself by offering to buy them lunch when they came into the city, an offer that they agreed to quickly.

At the car, Duo lifted an eyebrow at Trowa, "Any idea what you want to do now?"

"Not a clue," he admitted with a smile, not in the least bit embarrassed by his obliviousness any longer.

With a laugh, Duo got into the car and headed even farther out of the city, driving to the edge of the mountains that towered over the surrounding land. Pulling onto the side of the road, they got out of the car, Trowa quickly following as Duo walked to a small path. "Feel like taking a walk and working off some of that food?"

In answer, Trowa took Duo's hand in his and began to walk. Their conversation was light as they strolled along the path, leaning toward what they liked to do when they had spare time. Trowa learned that they both liked classical music and old movies, along with swimming and hiking when the opportunity presented itself.

It wasn't long before they reached an overlook, settling down on a large flat rock and looking over the mountains. Trowa was surprised to see the sun getting ready to set, the hours passing by much too quickly for his taste. He looked down at their hands, still entwined, his mind supplying the thought that they fit together. Duo's hand was slightly smaller than his, the long fingers interlacing with his perfectly. His eyes went back to Duo, who was watching the sun set, and the urge to be closer to the other man was too strong to ignore.

Tugging slightly on the hand in his own, he was pleased when Duo moved closer, sitting so that their bodies were touching from leg to shoulder. He released Duo's hand in order to put his arm around the lean waist, applying pressure and sighing when Duo scooted closer still until he was flush against him. Leaning down slightly, he nuzzled the thick hair with his nose, inhaling the scent of apples and spices that lingered there. "I've had a lot of fun today," he breathed, knowing his voice would carry to Duo's ear. "I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

"Neither have I," Duo whispered back, his own voice husky. "I haven't dated much in the last few years, and I was really nervous about tonight," he admitted.

With a chuckle, Trowa finally shared his own feelings on the subject, "I haven't had a good date in almost three years. I was so nervous before you showed up today, I was afraid I would either throw up, or not show up at all. The only thing that kept me from chickening out was that I really wanted to see you again, away from work."

"Does that mean that you were serious about going to Howard's diner with me once a week?" Trowa was able to hear the hope in Duo's voice, and sent up a silent thank you to whatever deity happened to be watching over them.

"I would love to," he stated honestly, resting his head on top of Duo's and watching the last moments of the sunset. As beautiful as the display was, he felt that Duo's beauty was greater, and that the man's scent was as intoxicating as any alcoholic beverage he had ever consumed. "I could get addicted to this, you know," he whispered. "I could get addicted to you," he clarified, knowing it was true.

"I feel like I've known you forever, Trowa." Duo sighed and snuggled closer, moving his own arms to wrap around Trowa's waist. His head turned, causing his warm breath to wash across Trowa's throat.

Trowa's own breathing stuttered at the sensation. In that moment, he felt calm and at peace, the man beside him fitting him like lost pieces of a puzzle. He had the thought that he had found his other half, a piece that he had been missing his entire life but had been unaware of until now. At the same time, he felt like his skin had electric currents running all over it, originating from where Duo's breath ghosted over him.

They sat that way for a while, the remaining light from the sun fading quickly. Not wanting to ruin the moment but knowing it must be done, Trowa sighed, "We better go back, unless you brought a flashlight with you."

"I know. This just feels so…" Duo paused, his arms holding Trowa even tighter for a moment before letting go and leaning back to look up at him seriously. "You feel right."

In the dimming light of the passing day, Trowa met Duo's eyes when the other man turned in his arms, the violet appearing almost black in the approaching darkness. Slowly, he leaned down until his lips met Duo's softly, a mere whisper of a kiss, a promise of more to come. He moved back to gauge the long-haired mans reaction, his heart stuttering as he read the silent plea.

With his arm still around Duo's waist, he pulled the other man closer, unwilling to let even a small space come between them. His other hand moved to the base of Duo's braid, threading his fingers in the silky strands he found there. This time, Duo met him halfway, their mouths meeting softly but with more intent.

When Duo gasped, Trowa took advantage of the opening and slid his tongue inside the warm cavern. If he had believed that Duo's scent was intoxicating, he knew now that the taste of the other man would remain with him for a long time, overwhelming his senses and making him crave more of the tangy flavor. He didn't know if the moan he heard came from Duo or himself, and couldn't bring himself to care which it had been.

Their tongues danced, sliding against each other in an erotic motion, mimicking a much more intimate act. Trowa tightened his hold on Duo, tilting his head a bit more so he could plunder the other man's mouth. He was vaguely aware of Duo shifting, moving even closer, but he didn't pay much attention until he realized that Duo had moved into his lap. The slender legs on either side of his own beckoned his hands, and he moved them to grasp either leg, his fingers digging into the dense muscles he found.

Eventually they pulled apart, both men gasping for air. Duo seemed surprised when he found himself in Trowa's lap, but didn't move as they tried to catch their breath. Several minutes passed before Trowa could find his voice, trying to control the urge to take Duo's mouth again, already desperate for another taste of the man sitting astride him. "I was right," he panted, staring at Duo in the waning light. "You're addictive."

Duo moved off of Trowa's lap and took his hand. "It's getting dark. If we don't go to the car now, we might end up spending the night here."

Trowa ignored the voice in his head telling him that spending the night with Duo wouldn't be a bad thing and followed Duo back down the path. By the time they reached the car, full dark had settled on the night, and they had to stumble a bit before they made it inside the car, laughing at their attempts to find the doors in the blackness.

Starting the car, Duo looked over at Trowa, his face lit by the glow of the dashboard. "Trowa, I…I don't…I want…"

Thinking he knew what his date was trying to say, Trowa leaned over and pulled Duo close for another heart-stopping kiss. "I want you, but it's too soon," he breathed after releasing those tempting lips.

Nipping at his mouth, Duo's voice was husky and low, making shivers travel up and down Trowa's spine, "You taste good. I want you so bad, but you're right. It's too soon. That doesn't mean I have to stop right now, does it?"

"Please don't," he replied, bringing them together again. He had to remind himself several times to keep his hands from wandering into areas that would only inflame them more.

It was difficult to restrain his body when they pulled apart, his hands wanting to stay on Duo. He finally settled with leaving his hand on a firm thigh as Duo drove them back to the city. On a mutual decision, they decided to end the date early rather than push their weakening resolve any further.

Trowa gave Duo directions to his apartment in between talking over plans for their next date. After comparing work schedules, it was decided that the next time, Trowa would cook dinner for them the next weekend, and they would drive out to eat at Howard's the following Tuesday. He was slightly disappointed that he would have to wait a full week before seeing Duo alone again, but kept it to himself, not wanting the other man to feel pressured into anything he wasn't ready for.

Sitting outside his apartment building, Trowa couldn't help the words from slipping out of his mouth, "Would you like to come up for a drink before you go home?"

Duo looked at him for several long seconds with an evil smile, "Do you really think if I come up for a drink that I'll go home?" He pulled Trowa close for a thorough kiss, his fingers a soft pressure on the back of Trowa's neck. "You're too tempting, Trowa. I don't think I'd be able to leave if I went up right now," he explained softly with his lips still against Trowa's. "I want this…us…to be more than that."

Reluctantly, Trowa agreed, but it was many minutes later before he forced himself to leave the car, and Duo, behind as he went into his apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. If you do, I'll sic my kids on you.

Warnings: Lime, bitchy Relena, bad language, AU.

Pairings: 3x2 main

Feedback is always welcome! Let me know what you think. Pretty, pretty please?

On with the fic!

"So how did it go?"

Trowa glared at Wufei for a few minutes before turning away to resume drinking his coffee. After the weekend he had had, he needed all the caffeine he could get in order to face the Monday. His friend followed him relentlessly, snickering a little when he saw the red eyes focus on him.

"I'm guessing you didn't get much sleep this weekend," the Chinese commented after being glared at. "I thought you didn't want to be treated like a sex object," he added with a smirk.

"I didn't get any sleep this weekend because Duo _wasn't_ there," Trowa huffed, recalling the long nights and the dreams that had prodded him awake at odd times. Each time he had roused, his body had been tightened in anticipation, the sensation of Duo's mouth on his own vivid in his mind. During the day, he had pined for the other man, and had called the other man just to hear Duo's voice for a few minutes. They had spent quite a lot of time on the phone, speaking as if they really had known each other for a very long time. "Here's your card back, I didn't need it."

Wufei took the credit card and sat on the sofa, watching Trowa as he readied the gear he needed for the first shoot of the day. Trying to ignore him, Trowa went about his business with his coffee clutched in his hand as he adjusted tripods, drapes, and lights. "So was the date so bad that it gave you nightmares, or what?"

"Actually it was just the opposite," he finally mumbled, knowing that Wufei wouldn't leave him alone until he answered some questions. "We met next door, then went to eat at a diner. After that, we took a short hike and watched the sunset. Then he took me home."

"That's your idea of a good date? You have really got to go out more," was the amused response.

"I'm hoping to. I'm supposed to cook for him next weekend," Trowa's mind immediately went back to the previous Friday. He tuned out Wufei's presence, remembering how right it felt to hold Duo in his arms as the sun was setting on the side of the mountain. He was still able to feel the emotions that had run through him then, recalling the moment with but a thought.

It wasn't until Wufei started snapping fingers in front of his face that he shook himself out of the reminiscence, his body shivering at the recall. "What?"

"I asked if you talked to him about modeling for us. I'm sure he could use the money," Wufei reminded, his expression baffled.

"I don't think he needs any money. I'm pretty sure he has plenty," at his friends confused expression, Trowa decided to explain. "Duo has a Bugatti, and a Mercedes, and a Porsche that I know of. He did mention something about a motorcycle while we were on the phone yesterday, too. I don't think he needs to earn any money. Besides, he said that the store is doing well."

After several minutes of silence passed, Trowa glanced back at Wufei and had to fight back a laugh. He took hedonistic glee at the look of shock on the other man's face. He chuckled, getting Wufei's attention. "He has a Bugatti?"

"Yeah. It was his father's. I got to ride in it and everything," he couldn't help but add that in, knowing that Wufei was a car buff like himself. "What time is the first appointment, and what are we doing?"

Bringing up business was always the best way to make Wufei forget about an interrogation. "Ten o'clock. Relena Darlian hired us to do some publicity ads for her new campaign. Commercial type stuff."

"Senator Darlian's daughter? What kind of campaign could she be doing?" Trowa queried as he set up the more neutral colored drapes, assuming that they would be wanted. "She's not going to run for office or anything, is she? I'm pretty sure she is too young for that."

Wufei shrugged while rolling his eyes. "Her secretary said something about trying to raise money in order to set up a scholarship program for underprivileged young women. Apparently Ms. Darlian is going to be making several speeches across the country for her purpose."

With a shake of his head, Trowa continued to set up his lights, shifting the platform and moving in a tall stool that would be more appropriate. Wufei would often let other people use their services without signing a contract, usually for an obscene amount of money. When they had first opened the business, the extra work was welcome, the money it brought necessary. Now, however, Wufei mainly agreed for the publicity, as the name of the modeling agency would be in plain sight on the bottom of each photo used.

Hearing a voice in the front room, Trowa and Wufei frowned at each other. Letting his friend investigate, Trowa turned his attention back to the job at hand, trying to remember what Relena Darlian looked like in order to match the props and drapes, hoping to flatter her. Voices coming closer pulled his eyes to the door.

Wufei entered with a pained expression, a young woman following behind him. The blonde woman was followed by a slightly older woman with short black hair, carrying several sets of clothes in her arms. The Chinese man stopped quickly, almost causing the young blonde to run into him. "Trowa Barton, allow me to introduce you to Relena Darlian and Lucrezia Noin, her assistant. Trowa will be your photographer today, Ms. Darlian."

"Please call me Relena. Ms. Darlian makes me feel so old," the blonde gushed. Trowa controlled the wince when she spoke, her voice grating on his nerves. As he watched her, she hurried across the room toward him, holding out her hand, palm tilted to the floor a bit. Trowa knew what she wanted him to do, but her assumption that he would fall at her feet was annoying, so he lifted her hand in a short shake before releasing it. She gave him a scandalized look before turning her attention back to Wufei. "I wasn't sure what I was supposed to wear, so I brought several outfits," she waved at the black haired woman, who seemed about to buckle under the weight of the clothes.

The Chinese man steered the struggling woman to the sofa he normally lounged in, taking the time to sort through the clothing in order to help Relena decide what to wear. The final decision would be left to Trowa since he was the professional that would be taking the photos, but Wufei would help make the process easier.

Eventually, they managed to get the clothes sorted and Relena in one of the dressing rooms. Trowa resented the early arrival of the women, since it took away the opportunity to see Duo as he came in that morning. He had been nearly desperate to see the other man all weekend, and had been looking forward to their weekday routine. A glance of Duo would have been all he needed to put him in a better mood, a few minutes alone with Duo would have put him in the clouds for the rest of the day.

"I apologize for the inconvenience of our early arrival," the black haired woman commented, at his side. He jumped slightly at her sudden appearance, quickly shrugging off her apology. She gave him a soft smile and held out her hand, "Please call me Lu. It's a lot easier to say than Lucrezia. Relena calls me Noin, but it's not something I prefer, feeling much too formal."

"I'm Trowa Barton, as you already know," he shook her hand briskly. The older woman's honesty was refreshing after having to listen to Relena's faux humility. "Is she always like that?" he muttered disdainfully.

Realizing what he had said, his eyes widened in horror. Lu laughed lightly, "You mean is she always a brat that runs over everyone? Usually. There are very few people that treat her as a normal person. She's used to being treated like a princess."

"While she is posing for me, she will need to do what I say when I say it. If she argues, I won't do the shoot," he informed her, deadly serious.

Nodding her understanding, she turned her head to look at Relena coming out of the dressing room, dressed in a pastel pink pantsuit. "I'll let her know that she has to do as you say. What she is doing is important to her, so I hope she'll listen."

Almost an hour into the shoot, Relena began to argue about everything, from the clothing to the poses. Trowa was almost at his wits end, his bad mood intensifying with every whine that came from her mouth. He was about to throw his camera at the woman when a new voice floated across the room, stunning him into immobility.

"Relena, shut up and do what the man tells you. He's the best and you damn well know it or you wouldn't be here in the first place."

All eyes turned to the man lounging in the doorway. Trowa felt his heart speed up as Duo straightened and moved across the room to him, his eyes taking in every sensual movement. The black jeans that Duo wore hugged his slim hips, the tight black t-shirt molding to his torso. Trowa had never thought that combat boots could be sexy, but changed his mind when he saw them now. He took the cup that Duo held out, feeling a shiver run down his spine at the glint in the violet eyes. He had the feeling that Duo wanted a few minutes alone as much as he did.

Apparently Relena chose to ignore the tension between the two men, curling her lip up and snarling at the long haired man. "What are you doing here, Duo? Come to ruin my photo shoot?"

Trowa caught the broad grin and wink from Lu as Duo spun on the young blonde. He held his breath in anticipation, assuming that Duo was one of the brave people that treated Relena as a normal person. "Lena, I didn't know that you were here. If I had, I would have waited to come over until after you were gone so your bitch germs would have cleared from the area. Not everything in the world is about you, Princess, and your life will be easier when you figure that out."

"If Howard knew how you spoke to me…"

"He would probably say it's about damn time for someone to introduce you to the real world, and you know it. You need to get acquainted with reality before it jumps up and bites you in the pink ass," Duo snarled back, moving a little closer to the irate woman, fisting his hands on his hips.

Relena seemed to deflate for a moment, her eyes saddened by the comment. It was when she pushed her shoulders back with a twinkle in her eyes that he tensed, wondering what she was going to do but feeling that it was going to be bad. "If your father was alive-"

"Oh, Jesus," was the only warning he got from the black-haired woman, the words a horrified breath.

In the space of a second, Duo had crossed the room with a speed that Trowa hadn't known was possible, his hand clamped around Relena's throat. She squeaked in surprise, her hands clasping Duo's wrist. "If you ever speak of my father again, you won't have to worry about anything ever again," Duo warned, his voice low and deadly.

Quickly moving to the long-haired man, Trowa put a hand on the tense shoulder. He was surprised when Duo instantly released her and stepped back, placing his body against Trowa's. Wufei intervened, gesturing Trowa toward his office with a jerk of his head. "Let's take a short break and get some refreshments. If you ladies will follow me, I have set some things up in the other room."

Not waiting to see if Relena was going to argue, Trowa guided Duo to his office, shutting the door behind him. As soon as the door closed, he found himself with an armful of Duo as the other man wrapped his arms around Trowa's waist and leaned his head on the strong chest. Trowa returned the embrace, running a hand down Duo's long hair in an effort to soothe him.

"Sorry, god, I'm so sorry." Duo apologized, his voice muffled by Trowa's shirt. "My parent's are a sore subject, one that I don't feel comfortable talking about to a lot of people. I should've known that she would say something. Relena's good at finding a person's weakest spot and using it against them. No doubt I'll get a phone call from Howard tonight, telling me to learn how to control my temper."

"To be honest, I was considering doing the same thing myself before you came in," Trowa shared, inhaling Duo's scent deeply. "She really gets on the nerves, doesn't she?"

The soft laugh rumbled through Duo and into him, making him feel better than he had all weekend. Lowering his head, he whispered in Duo's ear, "I missed you."

Duo leaned back and tilted his head up. If Trowa had had any doubts about what he wanted, the firm pressure at the back of his neck would have told him for sure. He willingly let himself be pulled down, their mouths meeting with a desperation he had never experienced before. Minutes passed before he was willing to break the kiss, his breathing labored.

There was a small moment of surprise when he found that he had pushed Duo against the door, pressing their bodies together. He smirked when he saw that the violet eyes were a bit dazed, looking back at him. "I think you might have missed me, too" he whispered softly.

"Have dinner with me tonight?"

The sudden question threw him off for a moment, but Trowa quickly recovered. There was something in Duo's tone that worried him, but he put his concerns to the side for now. "Yes, but I won't get done here until after eight," he warned.

"You could come over to the store when you get done," Duo suggested, his eyes pleading. When Trowa agreed, the other man fished in his pockets, pulling out a small set of keys and taking one off the ring. "The door will be locked. This is the key, so you can just come in. I'll be in the back of the store, in my office, probably."

They shared another long and probing kiss that left them both breathing heavily before Duo left, disappearing almost silently out of the studio before the other three occupants were aware of his presence. Trowa took a few minutes to smooth out his clothes, which had become more disheveled than he had believed possible in mere minutes. When he walked into the studio, the others were already there, waiting for him.

He nearly growled when Relena walked toward him, her hands clasped in front of her body, "Where is Duo?"

"He left," the answer was rude, but the woman had angered him by bringing up a subject that was painful to the long-haired man that he was beginning to realize he cared a great deal about.

Her face crinkled into a worried pout, "Oh, dear. I wanted to apologize to him. I never should have brought up his father. I know that it's a sore subject. Of course, I wouldn't want to speak of it if my father had been assassinated, either."

Blinking in surprise, it took several tries before he could speak, "Excuse me?"

Relena had started to walk away after her 'apology' and turned back when he spoke. She had a sly smile on her face, "You have no idea who Duo really is, do you?"

Saying nothing, he made his way to where he had left one of his cameras, checking the settings and changing the lens. Taking the hint, Relena sat back down on the stool, leaning back on her hands a bit, the smile changing into a knowing smirk. Wufei moved to stand beside his friend, just in case support, or possibly restraint, was needed. Lu moved as far away from the trio as possible, already knowing that Relena was about to do something really stupid.

"Duo Maxwell," Relena said, a finger to her lips and wearing a thoughtful expression, "son of Jeremiah and Helen Maxwell. Helen died when Duo was two in a car accident. She died from something as simple as an icy road at night on the way home from a friends house. Nothing could have prevented the crash, and she died instantly, from what I heard. Jeremiah's death was a different story." Her voice was full of false sympathy, and Trowa instantly hated her.

She stopped speaking for a moment, waiting for a reaction. When none was forthcoming, she narrowed her eyes at the two men. "Jeremiah Maxwell was one of the wealthiest people on the planet, and was asked to run for the Presidency. There were quite a few that didn't like the idea of a rich man in office, and decided to take matters into their own hands. That's the theory, at least. The person that shot Jeremiah was never caught. His entire fortune went to Duo upon his death, making an eight year old one of the richest people in the world."

Trowa wasn't surprised to learn that Duo had money, had actually suspected it from the man's cars. He was more startled to learn who Duo's father had been. He could vaguely recall the fervor that had occurred when Jeremiah Maxwell was killed while making a speech. The man had been a favorite of many, having worked his way into his wealth and not being born into it. President-elect Maxwell had been aware of the struggles of the regular person, and had been intent on making things a little easier for those people with several ideas about health and tax reform plans.

Taking the silence as anger or frustration, Relena smirked to herself. Duo had always been better than her at everything, and more attractive – so she had been told by the man she had wanted for years. She had been looking for a way to get even with him ever since, and she believed that she had finally found that way.

It was with surprise a few minutes later when Trowa spoke, his voice calm but his visible eye hard as it watched her. "I remember when Jeremiah Maxwell was shot," he said with his voice carefully modulated. "It was a shame that our country lost such a great man. I don't appreciate you bringing him up around Duo and I'll ask that you not do it again." Relena gaped at him for several long minutes, finally closing her mouth when she comprehended the deadly promise behind the soft tone. "Now you will do what I tell you so we can get this photo shoot completed, or I will spread the word that you are difficult to work with. Models talk a lot to each other, and to other people. The word will spread, and people will refuse to work with you. I suggest that you not argue with me again."

The rest of the shoot went smoothly, Relena coming to the conclusion that it would be best to keep her mouth shut. When she was done, she went into the dressing room and changed back into the outfit she had arrived in. "Where does Duo work?"

"The bookstore next door," Trowa said shortly. "If I learn that you said anything to upset him, I will not hesitate to share the details of the first half of our shoot, including you going for blood toward someone you see as competition."

Relena's pale skin flushed and her mouth opened and closed several times before she regained her composure, "Very well. I will apologize to him and leave it at that." She turned her nose up and spoke to her assistant. "Come, Noin. I do believe that it is time for us to go."

The black haired woman looked at her for a moment with disgust. She then shoved the bundle of clothes in Relena's arms, shocking the young blonde. "Actually, I think I quit. I happen to like Duo quite a bit, and I don't like what you did today."

"Noin, you aren't quitting because of what I said to Duo," the blonde huffed, dismissing the idea completely.

"No, I'm actually quitting because I'm tired of watching you treat everyone like trash. I don't want to be associated with you any longer. I will talk to the temp agency for you, and try to find you a replacement, but I will not go back with you. If you want to speak with Duo, you should hurry. I called for your car about ten minutes ago. Pargan will be here shortly, and you shouldn't keep him waiting."

Wufei led the stunned woman out of the studio, taking pity on her and taking half of the clothing as he went. Trowa could hear him explaining the process of developing the pictures and letting her know that he would call when they were ready to be looked at. Tuning out his friend, Trowa let his eyes fall on the woman that had slumped on the sofa, her face carefully blank.

"That was a brave thing you did," he sat on the sofa beside her.

Lu's eyes jerked to his, her nervous laugh tinted with confusion, "I just couldn't take it anymore," she smiled weakly. "I don't know what I was thinking, though. I have no idea what I'm going to do now."

There was nothing he could say as she sat up and put her face in her hands. He had no idea how to comfort the woman, his normal hesitation rearing up again. Resolutely, he gave the problem some serious thought, surprising himself when he thought up an answer. "I might have an idea, if you are willing to listen."

Heaving a sigh, she lowered her hands, "Right now, I'll listen to any suggestions you might have, as long as I don't have to sell my soul. I'll get another paycheck from Relena's father, and I have some savings, but other than that…" she let the words trail off, her blue eyes worried.

"Let's wait a few minutes, then go talk to Duo. Would you mind working for him a little?"

"No, but…do you think he would hire me? I really have no experience with books, other than reading them."

"Actually, I would like you to work for him part time, and for me part time." When she looked at him, baffled, he explained his idea. "I would like to train you as my assistant. It's something I've been putting off for a long time. I believe that you would be good at the work, if you agree, that is. You obviously are detail oriented, and have the patience of a saint. Both are qualities that you will need when working with models."

Her face lit up, "Work with the famous Trowa Barton? I would love to. I'm an amateur photographer," she sheepishly admitted her secret passion, pleasing Trowa. He had seen her looking closely at his cameras, and she had asked some questions about technique, timing, and the lighting. Her curiosity was one of the reasons he had decided to take her on as an assistant. It was the least he could do after she had stood up to Relena, defending Duo the way she had. "I know how to develop in a darkroom, and I know a little about lighting, but I will need more practice."

"That is why you will be training with me. The hours can be long sometimes, and some of the models we work with are worse than Relena, but the rewards are good."

Wufei returned with his face set in a frown, complaining under his breath about the woman that had just departed. Trowa quickly outlined his idea, his friend agreeing that they would give the black haired woman a chance. They had talked in the past about getting Trowa a helper, but there hadn't been anyone that the photographer would seriously consider working with. Lu had come along at the perfect time, showing her mettle by standing up to a spoiled woman that was used to getting her way.

They waited for thirty minutes before going to Redemption, leaving Wufei with their newest client, going over paperwork and contracts. Trowa entered first, his eyes searching out the man he longed to see. Even after seeing him earlier, the craving he felt for Duo was still a tangible thing. When his eyes fell on the braided man stretching on his toes to reach a book on an upper shelf, he couldn't stop the appreciative moan. He also couldn't help the stare that focused on the strip of firm abdomen that was revealed by the raised shirt.

"I wondered if the two of you were just friends," Lu said softly from his side.

Having forgotten her presence, he jumped slightly then blushed at her knowing smile. "More than friends, but I'm hoping for even more. I think he feels the same, at least I hope so."

At that moment, Duo turned and saw them. His eyes widened as his mouth pulled into a pleased smile. Luce elbowed Trowa slightly, "If that look means anything, I'd say he feels the same way. I've never seen him so happy to see someone," she added quietly as Duo made his way to them.

"Trowa…I…Hi," Duo finally said, his face reddening as he stumbled over his words. Trowa realized that it was usually the other way around, with Duo surprising him into incoherency. "To what do I owe this visit?"

The woman stepped forward, getting Duo's attention. "I'm sorry for what Relena said. It was a cruel thing to do."

Duo waved off her concern, "Not your fault. You can't help it if she's a bitch, no matter how hard you try."

"I was hoping you would be able to hire her on, part-time, for a while," Trowa outlined his plan once again, hoping that Duo would help the woman out.

The long haired man listened silently, his eyes intense on Trowa's. When Trowa finished talking, those eyes moved to Luce, looking at her closely. "Do you like books?" he asked suddenly.

Luce nodded quickly, "I read a lot, both new and older books. I have a degree in literature," she added. "I didn't know what I was going to do when I got older, so I took a lot of classes in college that I didn't really need, hoping I would figure it out eventually," she explained when she got some confused looks.

"You'll have to wear different clothes," Duo stated gently, taking in the pantsuit that she wore. "Jeans and a decent shirt would work fine here. Sometimes it gets dirty when we get a new shipment in." He thought for another minute, then nodded, "Come tomorrow when you can and we'll take care of paperwork then. Trowa and I can work together on your hours," he lifted an eyebrow in a silent question.

"That will be fine," Trowa answered, glad for any reason to spend more time with the man. Turning back to Lu, "Can you be at the studio tomorrow at nine? That will give me time to show you the basics before our first appointment comes in."

It wasn't long before Lu left, leaving the two men alone. Duo looked around the store, taking note of the few customers and his employee at the register, "Hey, Brad!"

The teenager looked up from the book he was reading, a smile on his face as he looked at his boss, "What's up, D?"

"Keep an eye on things for a few minutes for me?" Not waiting for the answer, Duo grabbed Trowa's hand and pulled him into the small room he used for an office.

Trowa looked around the small room, seeing the books stacked everywhere there was space. Papers littered the desk, adding to the chaos effect of the room. He barely had time to think that the room suited Duo's gregarious nature before he found himself pressed against the wall, Duo's mouth on his.

Gladly letting all thoughts fly away, he met the intensity of the kiss, moaning as he felt slender but strong hands working under his shirt. He repaid the favor by burying his hands in Duo's hair, his fingers digging carefully into the other man's scalp. He felt more than heard the low groan that answered the motion.

Coming quickly close to the point of no return, he broke the kiss, moaning as Duo's mouth moved to his neck, laving it with a hot tongue. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" he panted, his eyes sliding closed under the pleasurable assault.

"A few reasons," Duo replied, still using his mouth on Trowa's neck and sending shocks through his body. "First, that you would help Lu that way. She's had a hell of a time with Lena. Second, you look really good right now. Third," he pulled Trowa down for another fast but erotic kiss, sucking on the other man's tongue before releasing it, "I love the way you taste."

Using all the willpower he possessed, Trowa reminded Duo, "I have to get back. I was only supposed to be gone for a few minutes. We still have several shoots today." Another moan worked its way out of his mouth as Duo trailed a warm tongue up the side of his neck. When Duo began to nibble on his earlobe, his knees began to feel weak, so he wrapped his arms around the slender body and pulled Duo close.

The long-haired man finally relented with a deep sigh, pushing their bodies together for a moment before stepping back. Looking up at Trowa through his bangs, he offered a small smile, "Sorry. It's just really hard to control myself around you. I swear I'm not always like this, and I want more from you than sex. A lot more."

Trowa gave Duo another kiss, one that was more gentle but still just as probing, "If you had just wanted sex, you could have had that on Friday," he reminded gently, his body tightening further at the reminder. The shiver he saw Duo give made him feel a little better. "Are we still having dinner tonight?"

"Ummm, yeah. Is there anything that you prefer, or don't like?"

"Nope, I'm easy to please," his eyes widened when he saw the violet darken with lust. With a chuckle, he ran a hand down Duo's cheek, reveling in the smooth skin, "I'm not allergic to anything either. I'm guessing you have some ideas?"

"Yeah," the other man's tone was dreamy and he shook his head. "I have an idea, but wanted to make sure you weren't picky. I need to tell you about some things before we go any further," his eyes were worried as he leaned against Trowa.

Instinctively knowing that Duo wanted to tell him of his past, Trowa chose not to share that Relena had told him some of the details. He wanted to hear the whole story from Duo, knowing they needed the disclosure before they could take their burgeoning relationship any farther than it was now.

While his mind knew this, he was having a difficult time getting his body to remember the fact. Physically, he wanted Duo now, right now. On the desk would work, or perhaps with him pinning Duo to the wall and taking him while they stood, or on the floor. His brain didn't help by supplying him with vivid images of what the man before him would possibly look like naked, his photographers mind more than happy to help him imagine the lean lines and lithe muscle. At the thought he grew painfully hard and attempted to stifle a groan of frustration.

Trying to ignore his body's urging, Trowa moved his mouth to Duo's ear, intending to speak, but forgetting his words when Duo moaned as breath teased his ear. With a feather light touch, Trowa moved his tongue over the shell of Duo's ear, smiling as a tremor passed from one body to the other. Recognizing the weak spot for what it was, he promised himself to remember the spot for later. "I have to go," he finally whispered.

"Okay, I'll see you later tonight," Duo replied, his voice tremulous.

Slightly dazed, Trowa returned to work, ignoring Wufei's lewd comments about his disheveled appearance. The remainder of the day passed in a blur of anticipation. He couldn't wait to see Duo again, the man taking up most of his conscious thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. If you do, I'll sic my kids on you.

Warnings: Strong lime, possibly borderline, Yaoi, AU

Pairings: 3x2 main

On with the fic!

After unlocking the door, Trowa moved quietly through the shelves of books, the silence reminding him of a library. His eyes were focused on the beam of light he could see spilling out of the door of Duo's office as he moved forward. He couldn't recall much of his work from that day, glad that he could do his job without much conscious thought. Even Wufei had commented on how distracted he was, saying it might be better if he did sleep with Duo. At least that way, he would stop daydreaming about it.

Trowa wasn't too sure about that. If it was like everything else he had experienced with Duo, being intimate with the man would only make him crave more. He already had an intense yearning for the man's taste and scent, and the small noises that Duo made when they touched were enough to drive him out of his mind.

When he entered Duo's small office, his mind officially shut down. The room that had been cluttered to the point of insanity was completely different than it had been earlier in the day. The books were still there, but were lined up neatly on shelves that he hadn't even seen before, the papers that had been spilling over the desk were gone, leaving the desktop smooth and empty except for a phone. A chair that hadn't been visible earlier was pushed under the desk, leaving only the back peeking out to be seen.

The best thing in the room, in his opinion, was the man sitting cross-legged in the floor on a small blanket, a variety of dishes spread out around him. Duo glanced up when he came in, then turned back to the candle he was lighting. "Do you mind sitting in the floor? I thought we could have an indoor picnic." Seeing the awed gaze that Trowa turned to the now clean room, he began to laugh, "I made Hilde clean it for me to repay me for taking care of her while she was in a drunken stupor."

With a smile at the effort Duo had put into the dinner, Trowa took a seat in the clear space on the blanket that had been left for him. Duo returned the smile and began pouring two glasses of wine, then leaned forward to give one to his date. Setting the glass aside quickly, he halted Duo's progress of sitting back down. "How about a proper greeting?"

The long-haired man was in motion almost instantly, letting Trowa see his amazing speed again as he claimed Trowa's mouth. Several minutes passed before they broke apart, both a little dazed at the intensity of the kiss. Duo shook his head and began to serve the food, filling a plate for Trowa that had many kinds of pasta and breads. "I thought Italian would be a good idea," he explained softly. "And it'll go good with the wine."

They ate slowly, taking their time with the meal. Trowa shared some of the more memorable moments from his day, at least the few that he could recall, such as when one model stood up and threw her wig across the room in a fit of temper. He understood that Duo would need a few minutes to sort out what he wanted to say, able to see the fear in the violet eyes.

They had finished off the tiramisu and were sipping wine when Duo spoke, his voice soft and serious. "I need to tell you about my parents." He refilled his glass first, then Trowa's, not meeting the other man's eyes. "My mom died when I was really little, so I don't remember much about her, just vague memories of someone giving me a bath or singing in a soft voice. I have a lot of pictures of her, saved first by my dad, then by Howard. They always made sure that I wouldn't forget her."

Scooting some of the empty dishes out of the way, Trowa moved so that he was in front of Duo and pulled the man onto his lap. Duo tensed for a moment before his body relaxed into the embrace. The braided man snagged his glass and downed the contents. Trowa refilled the glass with the half-full bottle, realizing that Duo needed this in order to help him talk of his painful past.

Trowa gave the other man a soft kiss, gentle and tender, pulling him close again. Duo sighed against his chest and closed his eyes, continuing the story. "My dad grew up on a farm, and wanted to do better for his family when he was older, so he started working at a construction firm and saving his money. He worked for the same company for years, starting as a teenager in the summers and working his way up to foreman after he graduated from high school. He married my mom as soon as she graduated, a year after he did. When she got pregnant with me, he decided that he needed to be able to make more money to give us the life he wanted to. He took out a loan and started his own construction firm, with my mom doing the accounting and basically working as his secretary. Maxwell Construction became known for their quality and fast building. He had to hire more people and kept getting bigger jobs, taking the extra money he made and investing in stocks. When my mom died, he decided he wanted to spend more time with me, so he sold the business. By then, he was already well known for his success and had been featured in a few magazines."

Duo took a deep breath, sipping from his glass now instead of gulping it, "It seemed that everything my dad touched made money, and he was never wrong when he had a feeling about something. He became a governor for the state of North Carolina when I was little. When I turned seven, he was asked to run for the presidency, and he accepted. I didn't like the idea, for some reason that I couldn't explain. I had a bad feeling about it. A few days after my eighth birthday, dad had a speech in California. He was shot while going up to the podium, right in front of me. I waited at the hospital, but he never made it out of surgery. Howard came and took me home, and stayed with me after that."

"I remember seeing stories on the news about it," Trowa told him, rubbing a soothing hand up and down his back. "I was about twelve when it happened." A new thought occurred to him and he pulled Duo up by both arms, making the man look him in the eyes. "You were there?"

"Howard got the papers to leave that out," Duo sighed. "He thought it would be impossible for me to live a normal life if people found that out. I was also in the car when my mom wrecked. It took a long time to accept that it wasn't because of me that they died. Howard put me in therapy for a while, to help me understand that I wasn't cursed. Trowa, the reason I wanted to tell you all of this was so you wouldn't be surprised if you go home with me sometime." The braided man pulled on a wry expression, "My house is huge, and I have a few rich friends, so I didn't want you to be shocked when you found out. I wanted you to hear it from me," his voice was soft, sad…waiting for the rejection he believed to be coming.

"Duo, I already knew that you had money, and a lot of it. You drive a Bugatti," he said as a reminder. "I'm a car buff. I know how much that car is worth. I don't give a damn if you have money. I wouldn't care if you were just a bookstore owner. To me, you feel right, like you were meant for me."

"I feel the same way about you," Duo's tone was soft and slightly awed.

In order to reassure the long haired man of the sincerity of his words, Trowa shifted Duo around, moving the long legs to either side of his own. He took the other man's mouth in a passionate kiss, slipping his tongue in Duo's mouth to mate with its counterpart. "This has nothing to do with money, or power, or position. I want you so badly that it's hard to speak, hard to think when I'm near you. I wanted you before I found out you had money, and it changes nothing about the way I feel."

"Thank god," Duo whimpered as Trowa latched onto his neck.

Nipping and licking down the smooth column, Trowa pulled Duo to him, grinding their erections together, moaning at the sensation of firm hardness against his own. Hearing a thud behind him, he turned to see that Duo had toed off his boots, letting them fall to the floor. At the gesture, he held his control long enough to speak, his teeth clenched with the effort it took, "If you want to stop, tell me now."

"Don't you dare," violet eyes narrowed dangerously, then returned to normal, flecks of black and dark blue mixing in the normal color. "I need you, Trowa. I want you. Please," he moaned, tilting his head back as Trowa began the assault on his throat again. "We've waited long enough."

Sweeping one arm out, Trowa pushed the dishes out of his way, bearing Duo carefully to the floor. The long haired man sat up long enough to pull the shirt over his head, quickly working on ridding Trowa of the same. Trowa pulled at the buttons, too impatient to unfasten them with his clumsy fingers. Once his chest was bared, Duo attacked with his fingers and mouth, drawing gasps and moans from the other man.

Trying to get Duo's pants off was almost more than his limited brain function would allow. The man under him removed his mouth from Trowa's nipple long enough to raise up and shimmy the pants and boxers down his lean hips, then lay back on his elbows, watching Trowa with one raised eyebrow. "See something you like?"

"Oh, yeah," he growled in response. Duo nude in real life was so much better than he had imagined, the sleek muscles rippling under pale skin. He was lean, but not skinny, and nearly hairless, the hair he did have on his body was fine and dark, covering his legs.

"Your turn," the husky voice met his ears as Duo sat up, pushing at him until he stood.

As fast as humanly possible, he kicked his shoes off and into the corner where Duo's boots had fallen. He lifted each foot in turn, allowing the other man to slip off his socks. A warm, wet tongue teased his stomach, making the muscles jump and twitch as deft hands unfastened his pants.

In seconds, he was on top of Duo again, placing wet kisses all along Duo's neck, shoulders, and chest, loving the noises that the other man made. Their lovemaking was frenzied, desperate, and completely perfect. It took much too long, and not nearly long enough at the same time, over before Trowa was ready for it to be.

Wrapping his arms around Duo, he found those tempting lips again, rolling so the long haired man was lying on top of him. Finally coming up to catch their breath, Trowa smiled, "That was…" he trailed off, not having words to adequately describe the act.

"Perfect…mind-blowing…amazing…earth shattering," Duo supplied with a sigh, nestling into Trowa's body.

"All of the above?" Trowa teased, running his fingers up and down the smooth back of the other man.

"Hmm, that works for me," the braided man was running his tongue up the muscle of his neck, reveling in the salty taste that had formed on Trowa's skin. "Can we do that again?"

"Give me a few minutes, and I'll see what I can do for you."

A few minutes later, both men were sound asleep, still nestled together and naked. Trowa woke hours later, too comfortable to move around much, Duo's weight a reminder of what had transpired. He felt around the floor with his hand and found his discarded shirt, spreading it across Duo's body to keep the man warm. After taking a quick look to ensure the door to the office was, indeed, closed, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep, holding the other man close.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. If you do, I'll sic my kids on you.

Warnings: Lime, yaoi, AU

Pairings: 3x2 main

Feedback is always welcome! Let me know what you think. Pretty, pretty please?

On with the fic!

Six Months Later

Sitting at his desk, going over some proof photos, Trowa froze when slender hands covered his eyes. He waited for a moment before covering them with his own. "I've told you not to meet me here. I have a jealous fiancée, and if he finds out about us, there'll be hell to pay."

He expected the shove and took it in stride, reaching around to grab the lean waist of the man standing behind him. When his eyes were uncovered, he tilted his head back, asking a silent question. With a laugh, Duo met his mouth, feasting on Trowa's lips like he was a starving man.

When they pulled apart, Trowa pulled the other man into his lap, forgetting the proofs for now, his attention on something much more important to him. "Not that I'm complaining, love, but what are you doing here?"

"I got a special delivery today, and thought you might be interested," Duo grinned at him, reaching into his back pocket but not pulling out whatever it was he had stashed there. "Yell for Wufei," he ordered with a cheeky smile.

Wondering what his lover was hiding, Trowa did as he was told, shouting for his friend without ever letting go of Duo. "Are you going to tell me what the big surprise is?" he queried, leaning closer to the long haired man, letting his hands play in the base of the thick braid.

"Not until Wufei gets here," was the mumbled reply as Duo let himself be led to Trowa's mouth.

Minutes passed before they heard the sarcastic tone, "Can't you find somewhere else to do that? This is a place of business, you know."

"But no one can see us back here, unless you let them in. And if that happened, it would be your fault. Besides, it's not like you never do it with Lu," Duo snickered, giving a pointed look at where the Chinese had his arm wrapped around the black haired woman's waist. "But that's not important right now. I wanted to show you something."

Everyone held their breath when they saw the magazine that Duo unrolled, Wufei gasping when he realized what it was. Trowa took the periodical in his hands reverently, breathing deeply as he opened it to the centerfold and gazing at the photos that were immortalized there.

"My god, you're beautiful," he whispered to his lover, his eyes taking in the pictures that had been taken by his own cameras, then developed in the darkroom he now had in Duo's home - his home. His fingers traced over the familiar features on the pages, one at a time, his heart stuttering in his chest.

After months of pleading with Duo to model for him, Wufei had almost given up. He had been shocked when, one day, the braided man had agreed, the only condition was that it would be a one time thing. Trowa had set up the shoot for that very day, already knowing that his lover would take great pictures, as he had taken several at informal times like parties and cookouts. There were also several photos that would never be seen by anyone other than himself and Duo, but those were of a more personal nature.

"Give me that," Wufei demanded, grabbing the magazine out of Trowa's hands and ignoring the threatening growl. He looked over the ads for male swimsuits, then back to Duo. "Are you sure you won't do this again? I know you don't need the money, but these pictures are breathtaking. You could be famous."

"I'm already famous," Duo huffed, leaning back into Trowa's chest, his irritation disappearing as long arms wrapped around him.

"What did you do with the money you earned from this shoot?" Lu asked, aware that the sum was large.

"Gave it to charity. We didn't need it," Trowa answered for him, his brow creasing in thought. "If you decided to do it again, we could set up a charity foundation that some of the profits went to. It might get other models to do the same, and I'm sure the designer would be willing to make a large donation for a good cause."

Duo seemed to be giving it a great deal of thought, frowning until Trowa pushed their foreheads together. "Just think it over, love. You don't need to decide anything now. You do have other things to worry about right now." He gave the man he adored a quick kiss, "Such as the ceremony."

"Are you sure you guys aren't rushing it a bit? You haven't really known each other that long," Wufei commented absently. When he received silence, he glanced up from the magazine spread to see three identical are-you-kidding-me? looks. He shrugged, "Never mind. I have never seen two people so well suited for each other."

It hadn't taken long for the two men to realize that what they felt for each other was not a fleeting thing, their love growing with every day that passed. After the first night they had spent together, on the floor of Duo's office, they had made a point of spending every spare second together. No one that knew them had really been surprised when they made the announcement that they would be making arrangements for Trowa's things to be moved to Duo's home.

Four months of living together hadn't curbed their passion for each other, and the decision to make their bond permanent had been an easy one to make. Trowa couldn't imagine what his life would be like without the braided man that made him feel so alive. In the last five months, he had woke every morning early, so he could watch his soul mate slowly climb his way out of sleep. He still believed that Duo was the most beautiful person he had ever met, inside and out, and was eagerly anticipating the ceremony that would bind them together for the rest of their days.

He gently put his hands on either side of Duo's face, pulling the man in for a long kiss, stroking the flushed cheeks with his thumbs as he released the other's lips. "Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?"

Duo smiled at him softly, making Trowa forget about the other occupants in the room. He was treated to soft kisses on his cheeks, nose, forehead, and eyes. "I'm pretty sure I know," he whispered, love evident in every word. His smile took on a wicked quality, his eyes twinkling, "And if I ever forget, you can remind me once we get home."

"That's a promise," he laughed, wiggling his eyebrows. "Who says we have to wait until we get home?"

The slam of the door got their attention, both men realizing that Wufei and Lu had hastily departed, leaving them alone. With a laugh, Trowa stood and put Duo on his desk, not bothering with the photos spread across it. Duo could help him sort them out later. "How about I go ahead and give you a small reminder?"


End file.
